Mikel Landa breaks collarbone during first race of 2019

A pile-up in the bunch with 15km remaining in the opening race of the Challenge Mallorca sent Mikel Landa to hospital just outside Palma after hurting his shoulder.

The Basque rider suffered a significant blow to his right-hand shoulder, which forced him to abandon and be transferred by ambulance to a medical center near Palma.

The radiological exams undergone by the Spaniard confirmed a collarbone fracture, which will require surgery in the 48 hours following his arrival home in Álava on Friday.

The race, which had been much under the Movistar control up to that point, was split as a result of the crash, with a 30-man peloton in the lead soon anticipated by moves from Jose Gonçalves (Katusha-Alpecin) and Guillaume Martin (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), just before the final climb, and eventual winner Jesús Herrada (Cofidis), right before the end.

Behind Herrada finished, inside a selected pursuit group, the World Champion Alejandro Valverde, who kicked off his 2019 season with a 4th place.

The Spaniard, who is expected to cover the first three Challenge trophies this week, will have another chance to show his rainbow colours on the way to Lloseta, Friday (172km).